Fire at historic home in Stone Mountain Park ruled not to be arson
STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. - The Stone Mountain Department of Public Safety has determined that the fire at the historic Davis House, also known as the Dickey House, in Stone Mountain Park was not arson.
According to an email sent to FOX 5 Atlanta, the state's Fire Marshals Office determined that an electrical fault in a conduit near the entrance to the home cause the fire.
ORIGINAL STORY
Sources tell FOX 5 Atlanta that they are looking at "Cop City" demonstrators' possible involvement in the fire at Stone Mountain Park that destroyed the historic Davis House.
Authorities are still working to determine if that fire is arson, but are highly suspicious based off the timing of the alarms and who would have access to that area at that time of the morning.
Demonstrators claimed on Wednesday to be responsible for destroying multiple vehicles belonging to a concrete company in Lawrenceville that is associated with the future Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.
ORIGINAL STORY
A piece of Georgia history has been lost after a fire destroyed a 180-year-old house in Stone Mountain Park early Tuesday morning.
Stone Mountain Park officials say they received a call between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. about a fire at the Davis House in the park's Historic Square.
Multiple fire crews arrived at the scene to find flames shooting out of the home's roof. As of 5 a.m., they remained at the scene working on hot spots.
Despite the efforts, a spokesperson for the park's police force says the home is a total loss.
At this time, investigators believe the fire started in the attic or other upper areas of the home.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
History of the Davis House
The Davis House, previously known as the Dickey House, was built in the 1840s in Dickey, Georgia on a 1,000-acre plantation.
The ancestors of the original owners lived in the home until 1961 when it was moved piece by piece over 200 miles to Stone Mountain's Historic Square.
Park police spokesperson John Bankhead said the home was filled with antiques from the time period.
"Everything in there represents the 1800s. It's all antiques," he said. "It's just a historic representation of the 1860s."
Crews continue to assess the damage and see what they can recover from the scene.